#thirdroot

[officialmadizm-blog]

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@ThirdRootMusic @mr_easylee @mexstep @djchickengeorge will be performing in Atlanta, GA April 7th at @queenshellafestival to celebrate @queenyonasda 40th! Come and experience this music and arts birthday festival you will never forget! Get your tickets today! See y’all in Atl! 🎉🎂🎈#Queenshella #ThirdRoot #ThirdRootMusic #ATL #ATLANTA #FESTIVAL

[gmgomusic]

Jamming this new music by Third Root. Some good ol homegrown music for the soul. Tune in! #soulfood #goodmusic #SATX

[pacoctavio]

Ayer que fue día internacional de la mujer afrolatina, afrocaribeña y de la diáspora. #drawing #dibujo #afrolatin afrolatinwomen #afrocaribean #afrocaribeanwomen #afrolatina #afrocaribeña #mujerafrolatina #mujerafrocaribeña #diaspora #blacklivesmatter✊🏾 #blackpower #terceraraíz #thirdroot

[chicana]

I know that we are descendants of a mighty people, who gave civilization to the world. People who survived the hulls of slave ships across vast oceans. People who innovate and create and love despite pressures and tortures unimaginable. They are in our bloodstream. Pumping our hearts every second. They’ve prepared you. You are already prepared.

Amelia Boynton (SELMA)

[howlinbeats]

(via https://soundcloud.com/djchickengeorge/third-root-mellow-man-ace-sketches-of-liberation?utm_source=soundcloud&utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=tumblr)

[wearethirdroot]

Gerald V.

Age: 59

Preferred gender pronoun: he/him

Neighborhood you live in? I grew up in East Flatbush. I was born at Unity hospital. My family was living on east 37th street and Foster and I lived there until I was almost 17. I went to catholic grammar school just a few blocks away and I went to Saint Francis Prep which used to be in Williamsburg. So then we moved out to Long Island garden city. I loved Long Island, a beautiful place to live. Eventually I moved to Manhattan and I live on fifth street between 1st and 2nd avenue.

Length of time you've lived there: I've been in my apartment on the Lower East Side for 35 years.

Which services or classes do you participate in at Third Root? acupuncture

How long have you been coming to or involved with Third Root? 2 years Tell us your Third Root story! "Four years ago, while some tech company was having a street fair, there was a tent and Third Root had a booth where they were offering acupuncture. They were very nice. I remember they gave me some acupuncture in my ear, and I took their flyer. Time passed and I must have thrown the flyer away but then -- I have insomnia and a few years ago the insomnia was really out of control and I remembered that booth. I knew I'd recognize the name if I typed in Brooklyn and acupuncture, and I found it! I came in and everybody was so wonderful. I look forward to coming here. For a while I was coming two, three times a week. It's made a big difference in my life.Third root's sliding scale makes it affordable. I had some acupuncture done in Manhattan-- it's expensive. With the community acupuncture, there are other people in the room, but it's nice and quiet and relaxing.

Favorite thing(s) about Third Root? I really feel like I'm part of a community. I come here because I have relationships with the people here -- they're warm and friendly. I've been to other places where they do acupuncture in groups but the big difference here is that they have a door and a waiting area. So I can sit in the waiting area and talk to Katherine and have a conversation. Julia or Makeba comes out and we talk about the latest cause or movie. We have a chance to get to know each other. I come here because I want to see Julia and everybody. That's really the biggest thing -- I feel like I'm a part of a family.It's so gay friendly here. I had no idea -- it was just a nice coincidence. But I notice people in the neighborhood and how everybody comes in and it feels like we're very welcomed here by the neighbors. It's a community center.I love to walk around this neighborhood and look at the old mansions. It's old fashioned Brooklyn. The houses are bigger here than where I grew up. Sometimes I'll get a bite to eat, I'll sit out in the sun and enjoy. I love that the Q is just 2 or 3 minute walk."          

What are you up to in your life? I do volunteer work with men and women who are in recovery from alcoholism and  addiction. I've been able to stay away from alcohol and street drugs for 22 years. I've gotten a lot from the sober community, and I want to give back.I'm feel up for it, I love hiking and camping. I really love being in the outdoors -- in the mountains. Some people like the beach, I like the mountains. I like to go camping at gay campgrounds.

How can other Third Rooters connect with or learn more about you? I'm on facebook

Bonus Question! What's a favorite trick you use to stay healthy?               Acupuncture is my best trick. I tell people about Third Root all the time. I'm constantly referring people here and to acupuncture in general.

[wearethirdroot]

We Are Third Root! with Emmett Findley

Emmett Findley

What services do you participate in at Third Root?

Acupuncture, Herbal Medicine, Bodywork/ Massage, Yoga

How long have you been coming to or involved with Third Root?

4 years?

Favorite thing(s) about Third Root?

Third Root is a safe place for a lot of different groups of people. Third Root offers so many different classes, it's like there's always something to discover. The fact that I get to have a concert there in April! All the things are my favorite things about Third Root!

Tell us your Third Root story!

Third Root means so much to me. It's a place to call home, it's a place to meet friends, it's a place to ask hard questions and it's a place to find peace. It's an honor every week to walk into queer/trans yoga and feel so loved, accepted and seen (and, of course, it's a great yoga class!) I'm always amazed at the range of programs offered by Third Root for a variety of communities. I love how Third Root gets spruced up every year for the street fairs on Cortelyou Road, opening its doors wide for its neighbors and friends. I LOVE Third Root because it's just so easy to. I love the friends I've made, the classes I've taken, the workshops I've attended, the groups I've met. And for all the classes I've missed and people I haven't met, it's just nice to know that Third Root is there for all sorts of people who are looking for their place here in Brooklyn.

What are you up to in your life?

When I'm not at Third Root as a yoga student, I get to volunteer as a cleaner on Monday mornings at 6:30 a.m.! I like to write songs on my guitar, run (I am training for a marathon) and I like to spend time with friends! I love friendship and at parties I like to ask "What brings you joy?" rather than "What do you do?"

How can other Third Rooters connect with or learn more about you?

www.instagram.com/emmettjoon

Bonus Question! What's a favorite trick you use to stay healthy?

Headstands!

[wearethirdroot]

Katina Douveas

Role at TR: Monday morning front desk volunteer

How long have you been coming to/involved with Third Root?

since before it opened for business.

What neighborhood do you live in, and how long have you been there?

Flatbush, for 12 years.

Which modalities or classes do you utilize at TR:

Acupuncture; Herbal Medicine; Bodywork/ Massage; Yoga; Buddhist Studies; Community building and activism to fight racism, classism, gentrification, sexism, homophobia and all oppression everywhere

Favorite thing(s) about Third Root?

-the rows of shoes under the bench in the lobby when classes and treatments and trainings are going on -the fact that there is a health scholarship available to folks (like me!) who otherwise would not be able to access services -the fish in the apothecary who greet me each week when i come in for my volunteer shift -all the people who work there / devote their time, energy, resources and love there -how anybody can walk in and be welcomed -the willingness of folks to learn about, listen to and respect difference and ʺnewnessʺ (even in themselves) -how even taking a yoga class at third root feels so radical. because it’s rooted in social justice - all treatments/ practices / experiencees are infused with this spirit and you feel it -- whether you're attending a sensitivity training or getting a treatment -the transformative healing and shifting that takes place, grain by grain

Tell us your Third Root story!

when i first went to third root, i remember feeling so much abundance - both in terms of our neighborhood, that we had a place like this to go to, and in terms of myself - that a place like this was actually accessible to me, too!  it was new, it was nice, and it was for everyone. it wasn't a place just for white people who wanted yoga - it really was for everyone, and it reflected our neighborhood's diversity and--for most of us--our working class background. you could go and just chill. people could just stop in. from the beginning, Third Root felt like the big fountain of love that was so desperately needed along cortelyou, especially after vox pop had been forced to close. it filled those empty shoes and now it feels like the neighborhood's heart. there's always someone to talk to at Third Root - someone friendly, kind, and you have the best conversations and make great connections. i randomly met a person who had lived in my old neighborhood in detroit.  i've also met a neighbor who's lived here for almost as long as i have for the very first time!  the world really shrinks -- and expands -- when you step through the door.

What are you up to in your life?

I’m a poet -- i love writing, reading, dreaming. i perform spoken word poetry whenever i can.

for a living, i am a do-er of odd jobs, as well as a kidsitter / caretaker / personal and photography assistant. i also just started teaching a student conversational greek! : )

my dream is to be able to buy myself my own place one day – oh, and be free of my student loan debt!

Bonus Question! What's a favorite trick you use to stay healthy?

i suffer from copd (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) - so chronic bronchitis, asthma, emphysema, bullae, chronic pneumonia, frequent hospitalizations, etc.  it's not fun, and so my number one trick is PREVENTION -- eating right, doing yoga, getting acupuncture / acupressure and massage at Third Root, having social time with friends, exercising regularly, meditating, resting well, journaling, talking to friends during tough or stressful times, etc.  If I start feeling "sick" or "stuffed up" or "a tickle in my throat" (usually that's how it starts - a dry, scratchy throat which leads to a sore throat that drains into my lungs. so at the mere hint of feeling sick, i go into SUPER prevention mode.  here's what i start doing ASAP:

-drink tons of fluids - water, tea with honey (and sometimes a bit o' bourbon or whiskey if i'm having trouble sleeping), water with freshly squeezed lemon juice, chai, and hot soups (with garlic, ginger, lemongrass,and other herbs). bone broth is great.

-i strictly limit my sugar / dairy / white flour consumption, and consume absolutely NO caffeine.

-sleepSleepSLEEP as much as possible.

-meditate and RELAX as much as possible

-take hot, steamy showers and do my shower yoga

-gargle with lukewarm salt water often

-tell folks i'm not feeling well, and ask friends and loved ones to check in on me

-if i can get a massage, that always helps to relax me and boost my immune system

-chill out with my amazing cat who is always with me, purring healing vibes xoxo  (thank you, mr. t!  :)